Nintendo has announced that it is discontinuing the Wii U Basic model in its native Japan.
Over on the official Nintendo Japan website, production of the Wii U Basic is listed as having ended, prompting a price drop to shift the company’s remaining stock.
There’s no news on whether the Wii U Basic will be culled in the rest of the world, but Nintendo’s hardware decisions in its home country are usually mirrored elsewhere shortly after.
The Wii U hasn’t exactly been a sales smash, of course, but the Basic model in particular has been a massive flop since the console’s launch in 2012. The Wii U Premium model dominated sales from the get go, and there have been rumours that the Wii U Basic would be killed off from around six months after its release.
The Wii U Basic’s problem is that it’s fundamentally hamstrung, coming with just 8GB of internal storage as opposed to the Premium model’s 32GB. Despite this it doesn’t cost that much less money – particularly with the discounts that have come the way of the Premium model in recent times.
Read More: Best Wii U games
Nintendo will be hoping for a boost to the Wii U’s sales with the launch of its latest first party game, Splatoon, on May 28.
It’s a rare instance of original IP from Nintendo. Equally unusual is the fact that it’s an online team-based shooter, but with messy paint shooters and cute squid characters in place of guns and gruff marines.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
